Indoor. Fully.

ATP Antwerp, Köln; WTA Ostrava

 

The good Czechs managed to set up a WTA tournament, Premier, no less! That would be a penultimate gasp in a sick WTA season. ATP is way stronger and this week has two ATP 250 and also more to come next weeks.

J & T Banka Ostrava Open

Ostrava in the rain. Who cares? Indoor, baby!

WTA premier (470 points). As we don't get much WTA action to end the year, this one is pretty stacked: two top tenners and four more from top 20. First four seeds have byes: Svitolina, Pliskova, Sabalenka, Azarenka. The other four seeds go into action from the start: Martic, Rybakina, Mertens, Kontaveit. Who else is in Czechia? Well, Sakkari, Jabeur v Strycova, Ostapenko, Anisimova, Alexandrova, Gauff v Siniakova, Kasatkina, Yastremska v Brady, Kudermetova v Vekic. Did I say stacked? Yes, yes I did.

DRAW

DOUBLES DRAW

OOP

Aryna Sabalenka

European Open, Antwerp

Antwerp Port Authority - This warrants revisiting.

ATP 250. Belgium, as the rest of Europe, is under massive C19 resurgence. No crowds attending these tournaments. Draw of 28 with top four seeds having byes: Goffin, PCB, The Khach and Dimitrov. The rest of the seeds are Raonic, Lajovic, Fritz, De Minaur. Other notables: Lopez, Gasquet, Nishikori, The Tiaf, Evans, ARV, Opelka.

DRAW

DOUBLES DRAW

OOP

Ugo Humbert

bett1HULKS Championships, Cologne

Köln's own "suspended" buildings.

Another ATP 250, also a déjà vu of sorts as we're still in Cologne despite a guy (Zverev) just winning it. But! Last week it was "Indoors", this week it is "Championships". 28 draw, four seeds wait a bit for the action to start: Zverev, Schwartzman, The Shap, FAA. The other seeds start right away: Hurkacz, Struff, Mannarino, Cilic. Draw fills up nicely with guys like Verdasco, Simon, Herbert, Sinner, Cecchinato, Edmund, Johnson, ADF.

DRAW

DOUBLES DRAW

OOP

Alexander Zverev

And the unfortunate coda again:

• Live and up to date stats about coronavirus

• Another site with up to date stats

• Daily youtube update with the scientific side of the fight against covid-19 , explained in pretty intelligible terms. (That links to a playlist, just click on the freshest clip. Or you know... get really into it from the beginning.)